Rapper Sean Kingston Sentenced to 3 Years for $1M Fraud Scheme

 

Rapper Sean Kingston, best known for his hit “Beautiful Girls,” has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison after being convicted in a fraud scheme that defrauded businesses of over $1 million. Prosecutors said Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother Janice Turner carried out a plan that involved scamming victims into providing luxury goods such as designer watches, expensive furniture, a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, and even a massive 232-inch LED television. Authorities detailed how Kingston and his mother exploited his celebrity status by approaching businesses and individuals with offers to promote their products on his social media platforms or through his celebrity connections. Once they obtained the items, they sent fake wire transfer receipts to make it appear that payments had been made. In many cases, no money was ever transferred. During the sentencing hearing, Kingston apologized to the court and expressed regret for his actions, telling the judge he had learned valuable lessons. His mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced earlier in July to five years in prison for her role in the same scheme. Kingston, who rose to fame in the late 2000s, will begin serving his sentence immediately.

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The fraud scheme came to light after a raid on Kingston’s home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where his mother was first arrested in 2024. At the time, Kingston himself was taken into custody in California, just hours before he was scheduled to perform at an Army training base. Federal prosecutors said both he and his mother would reach out to victims on social media, lure them with promises of promotion, and then issue fraudulent receipts once they obtained the goods. A key piece of evidence presented at trial were text messages between Kingston and his mother, in which he explicitly instructed her to generate fake receipts to cover up the non-payments. Investigators said that while a few victims eventually received partial compensation after lawsuits or law enforcement intervention, most were left unpaid. Defense attorney Zeljka Bozanic argued that Kingston, who rose to global fame as a teenager, never learned how to manage finances or business dealings responsibly. He described the rapper as “a soft guy who grew up poor and still had the mentality of a teenager.” Despite the defense’s appeal for leniency, the court emphasized the scale and deliberate nature of the scheme. Kingston will now begin serving his prison sentence immediately.

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